Last minute cruising tips? Miami? GTY? Inside room?

[lorenni]

i just booked a 4 nighter out of Miami for next month so we’re venturing into a lot of new territory here...

1. Just me and the DS (7). Tips on single parenting during a cruise appreciated! It’s meant to be some QT as I’ll be working 7 days a week this month, but let’s be real - I’m only interesting to DS for so long before he wants other kids to play with and my tolerance for buttcrack jokes wears thin after day 3...

2. Booked a GTY room for the first time. Perusing other threads it sounds like we could get a stateroom assignment anytime between now and 5 minutes before we walk onto the Magic. It this accurate?

3. Booked an inside GTY at that! So first time without a porthole/balcony. I’ve read to bring a nightlight for the bathroom and an alarm clock/phone with clock app because you could sleep forever in the inside rooms. (Honestly after the month I am walking into, sleeping for 12 hours a night will be awesome.) Any other tips for cruising in an inside room?

4. We won’t be going to the main dining rooms. Totally expected main dining to be full and I’m ok with that, but we’re not going to dinner at 8:00 so we’ll be trying out other dinner options for the first time. How is Cabanas with food allergies (celiac)? Cabanas won’t be open for dinner on the first or last night, right? I can manage on GF chicken fingers from the pool deck for two nights, but it would be nice to have another option for the middle nights. Does Cabanas have a kids menu?

5. Miami! We’ll be staying the night prior to the cruise in Miami on hotel points (Starwood/Marriott). Any recommendations? What is the cruise terminal like? We have a 12:30 PAT so I am thinking we’ll do late checkout then make our way over around noon. Should I be planning differently?

Off to work I go - I appreciate any advice you all can throw my way! 7 cruises in and I’m back to noob status with this one.

 

[FSU Girl]

You should call and ask to be waitlisted for early dinner. It usually comes through, you can check when you get on the ship if you got it or if you can switch.

 

[Southern Pirate]

I took my 5 year old daughter on our first cruise after unexpectedly becoming a single parent. We had an inside stateroom which we really loved. It was just after Disney started with the inside port holes. If you do not already know, there is a HD camera that faces the side of the ship the port hole is on. You also get characters that dance across the screen every now and then. The view is so good it looks like a real window. On our 1st day my daughter wanted to go to the club to see other kids.(before the wave phones they handed out pagers.) She had me paged 1 time, I guess to make sure I was still on the ship. At the end of the day I almost had to drag her out of the club, then it was shower time and she fell asleep right away each night. Each morning after breakfast we would enjoy things on the ship and usually around lunch she would want to go back to the club. Disney paired us with a single mom and her daughter for dinner and we all got along great. The girls became great friends and emailed each other after the cruise for several years. The funny thing was that my ex-wife decided to take my daughter to WDW before the cruise when she found out about our cruise. My daughter's comment when 1st getting on the ship was "I hope we can eat something other than pizza every night". To say she had a great time would be an understatement. Since that 1st cruise we look forward each year to our next cruise. Have a great cruise with your son and enjoy some time for yourself as well.

I hope Miami is just as great as Port Canaveral. I will be trying the Miami port this month. My new wife did not want me to spend a lot of money on a Valentine's dinner this year so I booked us a February cruise instead. Now she is counting down the days.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

i just booked a 4 nighter out of Miami for next month so we’re venturing into a lot of new territory here...

1. Just me and the DS (7). Tips on single parenting during a cruise appreciated! It’s meant to be some QT as I’ll be working 7 days a week this month, but let’s be real - I’m only interesting to DS for so long before he wants other kids to play with and my tolerance for buttcrack jokes wears thin after day 3...

2. Booked a GTY room for the first time. Perusing other threads it sounds like we could get a stateroom assignment anytime between now and 5 minutes before we walk onto the Magic. It this accurate?

3. Booked an inside GTY at that! So first time without a porthole/balcony. I’ve read to bring a nightlight for the bathroom and an alarm clock/phone with clock app because you could sleep forever in the inside rooms. (Honestly after the month I am walking into, sleeping for 12 hours a night will be awesome.) Any other tips for cruising in an inside room?

4. We won’t be going to the main dining rooms. Totally expected main dining to be full and I’m ok with that, but we’re not going to dinner at 8:00 so we’ll be trying out other dinner options for the first time. How is Cabanas with food allergies (celiac)? Cabanas won’t be open for dinner on the first or last night, right? I can manage on GF chicken fingers from the pool deck for two nights, but it would be nice to have another option for the middle nights. Does Cabanas have a kids menu?

5. Miami! We’ll be staying the night prior to the cruise in Miami on hotel points (Starwood/Marriott). Any recommendations? What is the cruise terminal like? We have a 12:30 PAT so I am thinking we’ll do late checkout then make our way over around noon. Should I be planning differently?

Off to work I go - I appreciate any advice you all can throw my way! 7 cruises in and I’m back to noob status with this one.

2. Yes. Typically a GTY booking (one where you do select a specific category, but not an actual room) tend to be assigned around 45-60 days out. *GT bookings (last minute restricted fares) tend to be assigned 10-14 days out.

4. You can check when you board to see if you can be moved to the early seating. It can happen. Correct Cabanas is not open the first and last nights.

 

[lorenni]

Yesterday I booked an 11C GTY but as of today that option is gone and the only inside staterooms available to book are a handful of 11B and 11A. How does that work? Are they banking on someone cancelling an 11C? PIF date has passed.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Yesterday I booked an 11C GTY but as of today that option is gone and the only inside staterooms available to book are a handful of 11B and 11A. How does that work? Are they banking on someone cancelling an 11C? PIF date has passed.

It just means that you will be placed in at least a category 11C room, or better, once DCL gets around to assigning rooms.

 

[Dug720]

I took my 5 year old daughter on our first cruise after unexpectedly becoming a single parent. We had an inside stateroom which we really loved. It was just after Disney started with the inside port holes. If you do not already know, there is a HD camera that faces the side of the ship the port hole is on. You also get characters that dance across the screen every now and then. The view is so good it looks like a real window. On our 1st day my daughter wanted to go to the club to see other kids.(before the wave phones they handed out pagers.) She had me paged 1 time, I guess to make sure I was still on the ship. At the end of the day I almost had to drag her out of the club, then it was shower time and she fell asleep right away each night. Each morning after breakfast we would enjoy things on the ship and usually around lunch she would want to go back to the club. Disney paired us with a single mom and her daughter for dinner and we all got along great. The girls became great friends and emailed each other after the cruise for several years. The funny thing was that my ex-wife decided to take my daughter to WDW before the cruise when she found out about our cruise. My daughter's comment when 1st getting on the ship was "I hope we can eat something other than pizza every night". To say she had a great time would be an understatement. Since that 1st cruise we look forward each year to our next cruise. Have a great cruise with your son and enjoy some time for yourself as well.

I hope Miami is just as great as Port Canaveral. I will be trying the Miami port this month. My new wife did not want me to spend a lot of money on a Valentine's dinner this year so I booked us a February cruise instead. Now she is counting down the days.

If the OP is out of Miami, that is on the Magic - the Classics (Magic and Wonder) do NOT have the Magic portholes. Those are only on the Dream Class (Dream and Fantasy). So the OP will not have that.

 

[lorenni]

If the OP is out of Miami, that is on the Magic - the Classics (Magic and Wonder) do NOT have the Magic portholes. Those are only on the Dream Class (Dream and Fantasy). So the OP will not have that.

@Dug720 - you are GF, right? Have you done Cabanas for dinner?

 

[Dug720]

@Dug720 - you are GF, right? Have you done Cabanas for dinner?

No. I was going to go one night before being diagnosed with a wheat allergy, but I left because it was like they took my least favorite things on each menu and combined them.

 

[mevelandry]

i just booked a 4 nighter out of Miami for next month so we’re venturing into a lot of new territory here...

1. Just me and the DS (7). Tips on single parenting during a cruise appreciated! It’s meant to be some QT as I’ll be working 7 days a week this month, but let’s be real - I’m only interesting to DS for so long before he wants other kids to play with and my tolerance for buttcrack jokes wears thin after day 3...

2. Booked a GTY room for the first time. Perusing other threads it sounds like we could get a stateroom assignment anytime between now and 5 minutes before we walk onto the Magic. It this accurate?

3. Booked an inside GTY at that! So first time without a porthole/balcony. I’ve read to bring a nightlight for the bathroom and an alarm clock/phone with clock app because you could sleep forever in the inside rooms. (Honestly after the month I am walking into, sleeping for 12 hours a night will be awesome.) Any other tips for cruising in an inside room?

4. We won’t be going to the main dining rooms. Totally expected main dining to be full and I’m ok with that, but we’re not going to dinner at 8:00 so we’ll be trying out other dinner options for the first time. How is Cabanas with food allergies (celiac)? Cabanas won’t be open for dinner on the first or last night, right? I can manage on GF chicken fingers from the pool deck for two nights, but it would be nice to have another option for the middle nights. Does Cabanas have a kids menu?

5. Miami! We’ll be staying the night prior to the cruise in Miami on hotel points (Starwood/Marriott). Any recommendations? What is the cruise terminal like? We have a 12:30 PAT so I am thinking we’ll do late checkout then make our way over around noon. Should I be planning differently?

Off to work I go - I appreciate any advice you all can throw my way! 7 cruises in and I’m back to noob status with this one.

5. We absolutely loved the Epic Hotel on Biscayne Boulevard. The staff was absolutely amazing and the rooms were nice.

 

[grantclaire]

Hi when we sailed out of Miami we stayed the night before at a Residence Inn, near the airport in a Marriott village free shuttle from airport to hotel, shuttle to port for a fee( around 12.00$ per person) free breakfast as well.

 

[rcchello]

You can get from the airport to downtown Miami via rail for $2.50 a person. You can then use the metromover and trolley buses for free to Get around. You can even use the "trolley" to Get to the Disney terminal for free. The was a stop outside our hotel and the next stop was the cruise terminals and the hotel front desk told us to catch a cab for $20.

 

[lorenni]

Since we’re arriving pretty early the day prior I booked a hotel in South Beach, with a pool and at the beach. Figure we’ll hit the beach in Miami that afternoon.

I had no idea about trolleys or the metromover. Either would be worth checking out for the novelty factor with DS who is still young enough to enjoy public transport. Sort of like the monorail counts as a ride at Disneyworld.

 

[grantclaire]

The South Beach trolley is a great way to get around South Beach!

 

[rcchello]

There are three trolley systems covering: Miami, Miami Beach and South Beach. The metromover covers downtown Miami. The maps can be found on the internet. It just amazed me how easily you can get around for free!

 

[Amw1064]

Definitely call and waitlist main dining and if for some reason they do not change it prior to the cruise go straight to dining room (or wherever they tell you to go) right when you board. We have never not had them get it changed for us.

As for the portholes in the room, the Magic does not have them.

Miami is a much different experience than Port Canaveral. There is no Disney terminal but it works fine. Just no big model ship and there is a character back in the corner for arrival pictures.

 

[lorenni]

Definitely call and waitlist main dining and if for some reason they do not change it prior to the cruise go straight to dining room (or wherever they tell you to go) right when you board. We have never not had them get it changed for us.

As for the portholes in the room, the Magic does not have them.

Miami is a much different experience than Port Canaveral. There is no Disney terminal but it works fine. Just no big model ship and there is a character back in the corner for arrival pictures.

Thanks but I’m not interested in the MDRs for this trip. With just me and DS I have no desire to spend 1.5-2 hours having a sit down dinner (probably with strangers) that neither of us will enjoy.

 

[mevelandry]

Thanks but I’m not interested in the MDRs for this trip. With just me and DS I have no desire to spend 1.5-2 hours having a sit down dinner (probably with strangers) that neither of us will enjoy.

You can call to ask for a private table (we always did and we always had that request granted).

You can also be put on a waiting list for the first seating (you might get lucky).

And, you definitely can tell your servers that you'd like your dinners to be "short". We've done this before and we've were able to have dinners within 60 minutes.

 

[Amw1064]

You can call to ask for a private table (we always did and we always had that request granted).

You can also be put on a waiting list for the first seating (you might get lucky).

And, you can definitely can tell your servers that you'd like your dinners to be "short". We've done this before and we've were able to have dinners within 60 minutes.

Yes to all 3 of these. We always ask and have received a private table and we have been in and out of dinner very quickly if we have asked.

 

[Karin1984]

I understand the MDR objections for the 2nd seating and the length of the meal. But the thugs at Rapunzel's dinner were one of the highlights of my cruise 2 weeks ago and ending in animators palate with Sorcerer Mickey and the music of Fantasmic, it was the perfect piece of Disney Magic to end the cruise with.

I would see for early seating and a private table. You don't have to do all 3 courses, you could stick to just the main course. For animators palate, as Mickey arrives at the end, I would enter the MDR as late as possible. Maybe eat somewhere else and only get a dessert.